UNDERSTANDING THE RC TURBINE HELICOPTER

Before I start talking about RC turbine helicopters I
first want to acknowledge the kind help and support I have received from
Sara at
Wren Turbines LTD.
, and Chris Bergen at
Bergen RC Helicopters
.

After looking long and hard for the best turbine RC
helicopter/engine platforms - Bergen RC and Wren Turbines stood out in
the turbine RC heli crowd as true leaders in innovation, quality, and
value. With Bergen's new cost friendly
44 Magnum
, I finally had reason to contact Bergen and fulfill a longtime dream to
get into turbine powered flight. I did end up with the larger Bergen
Intrepid RC turbine helicopter in the end, but it was the 44 Magnum that
first grabbed my attention.

It wasn’t hard deciding who I wanted to get help from, and I am
grateful for Sara's & Chris's help & support. Many of the photos
in my turbine section of this web site have kindly been supplied by
Wren, Bergen RC, and RCrotortech.

Like many of you I have been dreaming of building and
flying a RC turbine helicopter for several years now. Ever since I saw
one fly several years ago, it has been in the back of my mind. Actually
the flying had nothing to do with it; it was the wonderful sound and
smell. Seeing the heat waves blowing out the exhaust nozzles is pretty
special and with those three ingredients stimulating your senses, it
really hits home that this is as close to the real deal as most of us
RC'ers will get.

My Intrepid Turbine In Action

There is something about that high pitched whine and whistle, coupled
with the sweet aroma of burning jet fuel that to me is more intoxicating
than 30 year old scotch.

Moving
to a small mountain town in BC. Canada, that has a Bell helicopter
service center in shouting distance from our home practically has
certainly not helped diminish my turbine helicopter fetish and as it
turns out, has made it so convenient to access jet fuel and turbine oil.
I should actually take the time to thank the folks at
Robson HeliMagic
&
Yellowhead Helicopters LTD for my fuel and oil needs.

RC Turbine Helicopter Basics

RC turbine helicopters are actually not very different from our
gas or nitro RC helis with the exception of size (perhaps) and cost
(most definitely). They are not enormous, pretty much the same size as
larger gas helicopters or 700/800 electrics with rotor diameters in the 2000-2500mm (80-100
inch) range. Most will weigh in the 20-30 pound range so they are heavy buggers compared to equivalent 700 or 800 size electrics at roughly double the weight. You notice that weight in flight and have to fly accordingly - thinking ahead in other words.

As
far as controls, mechanics, and how they are built, RC turbine helis
are pretty much exactly the same as gas or nitro RC helicopters. Many of
the larger helicopter kits on the market that have been designed to run
gas engines can be fit with turbine engines with minimal modifications.

Wren for example, offers conversion kits to fit their turbine
helicopter engines into several popular large gas and nitro RC
helicopter mechanics.

The main differences between turbine powered and gas or nitro lie
around the systems required to keep a turbine engine running such as
the turbine engine's
FADEC
, electric fuel pump and valves, larger fuel tank/s, UAT (universal air
trap), auto start motor, and perhaps a dry sump oil system for gear box
lubrication.

All these extra systems use quite a bit of electrical power and
require a dedicated battery pack over and above the normal receiver
battery that we are all used to. Speaking of receivers, the radio
equipment, servos, gyro are the same you would use on any large nitro, gas, or electric radio controlled helicopter.

One of the biggest differences I found between a turbine powered
RC helicopter over gas or nitro internal combustion engines is just how
smooth and vibration free a turbine engine runs. They are very much like
an electric motor in that respect and have that same "feel" while
flying. No reciprocating mass of a piston going up and down and no
exhaust pulse, only silky smooth power - and lots of it! :-) No tuning
hassles either as the FADEC controls engine management perfectly every
time from start up to shut down! So yes, there are certainly some
"tangible" performance benefits over the obvious ones that just
stimulate the senses.

Now that you know a bit more about turbine RC helicopters, let’s spin our way into specifics.

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